National Republican., 1887-05-23
FACTS ABOUT CREOSOTE.
Sergsant-at.ArmsC Canaday Tells How
Wood is Preserved in Water.

"OOu IL PreserNeu IN Nhter.
New York Mail and Express
Col. W. p. Canaday, Of North Carolina,
sergeant alarms Of the United States Sen
ate, besides being a politician, knows
great deal about creosote and how II is
made. The colonel is tall, fine-looking
and full Of vim and energy. He gave
Nail and Express reporter some facts about
creosote the other day al the Fifth Avenue
Hotel He said "CreOsoting wood that
has to be used in damp places is the only
method to preserve 1t from the decaying
effects of water and the insidious attacks
of the teredo worm. Creosote Is n general
name applied to the products obtained
from the destructive distillation Of wood,
coal, and other carbonaceous fuels, after
the temperature has risen above 200 or 800
degrees Fahrenheit. The oil thus obtained
is termed creosote oil, and is an excellent
preservative of wood. The philosophy of
its antiseptic and preservative qualities is
simple. The oil chokes up the pores of
the wood, making it solid and preventing
the further entrance of air, moisture, or
life. No germinal life can exist In
wood thoroughly creosoted, and the
fatal teredo worm dies from the effects OF
the oil. You see the oil contains insolube
tar acids, not only antiseptIc in their nature,
but also possessing the power of coagulating
the albuminous or fermenting elements Of
green, sappy, or unseasoned wood. How is
creosote made from piner Well. heavily
resined fatty pine wood, subjected TO a heat
of from 300 to 760 degrees Fahrenheit within
closed iron cylinders, yields by distillation
and condensation an excellent wood creO-
sote oil, sui able for the preservation of
wood. When this oil is aualyzed 1t is found
to contain about per cent. of tar acids.
about 10 per cent. of the lighter oils, and
| at least so per cent. OF the heavier oils,
insolube in either fresh, brackish. or salt
| water Experience shows that preserva-
tion Of timber is mainly due to those creo.
sote oils which require over 400 degrees
| Fahrenheit for their volatilazation, and
| that the pure creosote, with less tar acids
and with less light oils, gives the best
results. Creosote oil is forced into wood
by means of hydraulic pressure. The
improvements made upon the old char
ring processes are very great There is
a carbonized process which takes ordi-
nary open-grained pine timber, and subjects
| II TO a dry, radiant heat, within suitable
| drive out OF the timber most OF its sap and
albuminous matter, drying the inside of the
timber, charring its outside, and leaving
the wool with its pores wide open and IN
condition to be completely filled with the
oil. This process does not render the timber
brittle How much oil is required Sawed
lumber only requires eight pounds per cubic
foot. In logs used for piling twelve pounds
of creosote oil per cubic foot is all that II
necessary for its preservation. During the
manufacture Of creosote oil pyrolignsout
acid is condensed In the still. This acid ir
its crude and undiluted state is an excellent
dsinfectant The progress made in creo
sotlng timber within the past few years has
been so great 1t would be unsafe to predict
to what extent IL will be carried. Wood
will be made more lasting than any building
material"